Neurotoxicity of Rodenticides

Rodenticides are a heterogeneous group of compounds that exhibit markedly different toxicities to humans and rodents. Table 23.1 lists the effects and neurological presentations for different examples. According to the Toxic

Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), 20,300 human exposures to rodenticides were reported in 1 year (1998) (9,10).

Management of toxicity induced by rodenticides is toxin-specific and usually involves emergency care for acute exposure. Strychnine may be of special interest to a physician, due to its unique and well-studied mechanism of toxicity. This plant alkaloid is no longer widely used in the United States but is more widely used in the developing countries. Consider strychnine toxicity if an individual presents with generalized seizure-like appearance, with or without loss of consciousness. Of note is the fact that strychnine may be used as an adulterant in street drugs, especially those sold as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) (9).